Expat Club trips
Monet’s Magical Gardens
There are few places in France as magical as Giverny, a quaint village that lies just 80 km from Paris. Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism, discovered this gateway to Normandy as he glanced out of a train window back in 1883. On 26 May, Expat Club travellers got a chance to discover it, too. It was an early start for the weary travellers as we headed down the highway from Brussels. Sitting on our comfortable and roomy luxury coach, we got inspired for the visit with a 90-minute documentary about Monet that showcased his life through letters he wrote. Soon, the rolling green hills of the French countryside greeted us as we neared Giverny. By lunchtime, we had arrived! We walked down stone streets, past charming slate-roof buildings and homes, to LesNymphéas, French for the water lil...
Meet the Castle: Château de Chenonceau
Did you know that Château de Chenonceau was a gift from King Henry II of France to his mistress Diane de Poitiers? She didn’t get to keep it, though. Chateau de Chenonceau is the third castle of the Loire Valley we visit during our weekend trip. One of the most remarkable aspects of this chateau’s history is its almost uninterrupted succession down the line of fascinating women. Here’s a brief overview of the chateau’s history and why we love it so much.
Meet the Castle: Château de Cheverny
Did you know that Château de Cheverny was the inspiration for the fictional Marlinspike Hall (Château de Moulinsart in French) in the Adventures of Tintin books? Chateau de Cheverny is the second castle of the Loire Valley we visit during our weekend trip. Here are a few reasons why we love this castle. Practically untouched Accounts vary about the chateau’s construction which dates anywhere between the 15th and 16th century. The original owner of the estate, Henry Le Mareschau, sold the estate to Jean Hurault, whose grandson, Jacques Hurault became the first Marquis de Vibraye. Cheverny thus became the official seat of the Marquis de Vibraye. The property has remained in the same family for over six centuries; this is probably why the chateau has practically maintained its classica...
Opal Coast: Winding roads and windy skies
Traveling with Expat Club is always an adventure, and our trip to the Opal Coast was no exception. We left the grey skies and pelting rain of Brussels behind as we drove west to the northern coast of France. Skies cleared, but brisk winds accompanied us on our full-day foray to France. Dunkirk Our first stop was the port city of Dunkirk, a city steeped in history. Towering over the city is Tour du Leughenaer, or “the liar’s tower.” Erected in 1450 and converted to a lighthouse around 1793, it’s the city’s oldest building. Legend says false lighthouse signals lured ships into areas where they were grounded and then looted. We had time to walk through the maritime city, visiting the active market, having a coffee and fresh croissant, or viewing spectacular churches like the Gothic-style Sain...
5 Interesting Facts about Champagne
Any occasion can instantly become a party when a bottle of delicious champagne wine opens! This sparkling wine bears the name of the region where it’s grown: Champagne, located in Northern France. Its geography and climate made it the perfect place to cultivate the grapes from which the wine is produced. Growers and wine producers have perfected its production method for centuries, making the final product achieve the level of prestige everyone come to associate with the word Champagne! Our Champagne day trip is one of our popular destinations here at Expat Club. Here are five interesting facts about this region that will make you want to hop on the next tour! 1. Champagne wine exists thanks to Italians Wine-making was introduced in the Champagne region by Romans. These invaders mad...
4 Interesting facts about Mont Saint-Michel
This UNESCO World Heritage location has captured the imagination for centuries, thanks to its architecture and place on an islet with one of the highest tides in Europe. Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most famous landmarks in France, visited by over 3 million visitors each year. The impressive views of Mont Saint-Michel have inspired popular culture, from books and classical music to Hollywood movies and video games. Here are 4 interesting facts about Mont Saint-Michel. 1. A celestial vision The building plans for Mont Saint-Michel were put in motion in the year 708 with a dream. Legend says the Archangel Michael came to Bishop Aubert of Avranches on three separate occasions, instructing him to build a church on the rocky island. Actual completion of the monastery would only happen severa...
Hautvillers: Picture-perfect in Champagne
The village of Hautvillers is one of the most beautiful and picturesque towns we visit during our Champagne Day Trip and one with great significance: it’s the place where the French Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon is said to have invented champagne wine. Well, that’s not exactly what happened. So why do we like Hautvillers so much? Here are some of the places we love and why you should, too!
Winter Weekend Ski
Our planned ski trip from Friday evening 12 to Sunday 14 January may take place after all! Read on At the moment of writing, the temperatures are dropping fast in Eastern France and more fresh snow is expected (18-25 cm by Friday!). The trend is also positive, meaning the forecasts are continuously adapted to even lower temperatures (nicely below 0) + increasingly better snow predictions. This means the chances for a ski trip from Friday evening (17h30 departure) to Sunday evening are going up dramatically! PRE-REGISTER NOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN, ALSO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE WEEK AFTER (19-21 JANUARY). This is for free, and without obligations, but we’ll inform you the first (it will fill up quickly). Nice ski area with 40+ km of blue, red and black slopes Modern ski lifts ...
Christmas Markets Trips
The days get shorter. The temperatures drop. Christmas season is just around the corner. Since 2013 Expat Club has been organising dozens of special Christmas trips to a variety of destinations. Such trips are perfect for every expat, including families, single travellers, couples and small groups of friends and colleagues. We always travel by comfortable 4* luxury coach with extra leg space. At the destination itself we organise guided tours, group lunches, visits to museums or the beautiful cathedrals, and of course we socialise at the Christmas markets with some nice food and delicious hot wine (or something else). Also for the 2017 holiday season we have put many wonderful destinations on our event calendar, including: the classics Cologne and Düsseldorf with multiple superb large Chri...
Time to sign up
A new year has begun. It’s not only time to think about new year’s resolutions, but also about the plans for Expat Club. Our international community is growing very fast. There are more events on the calendar than ever before, including local socialising events, lectures, workshops and walks. And there are more trips to increasingly more destinations. Most important, we have also more members hosting events. If you feel like becoming part of our members team, read this article. Also our online community is growing fast and especially for this aspect of Expat Club we have big plans. Some things will change on the website and our RSVP policy. Here are a few points: Every member will need a clear picture. No distant pics, no covered faces, no cats or any other item, just a neat pi...
Our coaches
Expat Club doesn’t operate its own coaches for obvious reasons. Just like airplanes need to fly, coaches need to be on the road as much as possible to justify their high purchase and maintenance costs. Did you know that a new bus costs anywhere between €250.000 and €500.000? Indeed, they cost as much as a nice apartment in Brussels. Such buses are real “workhorses”, travelling continuously between Belgium and holiday destinations in Spain, Italy and Croatia, adding up sometimes over 300.000 kilometers per year! Needless to say that coach manufacturers such as MAN, Setra and Belgium’s own top producer Van Hool are investing a lot in the technical quality the engines and other parts. Every two years Belgium hosts the world’s most important coach exhibition Buswo...